Contrasting Momentum-Selective Spin-Density-Wave Gaps in Bilayer and Trilayer Nickelates

Resolving where the density-wave gap opens in momentum space is essential for identifying the microscopic origin of the instability in layered nickelates. Using polarization-resolved electronic Raman scattering, we map the momentum selectivity of the spin-density-wave (SDW) gap in trilayer La4Ni3O10. We observe a SDW-induced redistribution of spectral weight on both the α pocket at the Brillouin-zone centre and a portion of the β pocket near the zone boundary, characterized by gap energies of approximately 55 meV. In contrast, no comparable spectral weight suppression is observed along the diagonal region of β pockets, implying little or no gap opening. This gap topology contrasts sharply with that in La3Ni2O7, where anisotropic SDW gaps open solely on the β pocket. Our results establish a distinct momentum-space gap topology between bilayer and trilayer nickelates, placing new constraints on the ordering wave vector and the mechanism of the density-wave instability relevant to superconductivity.